Method Man and Redman tonight at First Avenue

Flavor Flav might have preceded Method Man in hip-hop, but Wu Tang Clan’s most vocally recognizable MC this side of the ground water preceded Flav in cancelled sitcoms. When “Under One Roof” was but a gleam in Flav’s eye, “Method & Red,” an ignominious but surprisingly funny MyNetwork comedy series, had already been off the air for 4 whole years. In this, if in nothing else, Method was ahead of his time.

But never fear-- fresh off a 2007 marijuana arrest, Method Man has teamed up with the always available Redman for another coast-to-coast cruise. What to say about Method Man? Or, more fruitfully, which Cheech and Chong reference best suits this seemingly obligatory buddy romp, appropriately titled the “Still High” tour? It isn’t just snark. Meth and Red would hardly deny the similarities-- both have been getting respectable mileage out of their bottomless bong loads, providing humor to those already in on the joke. When masquerading as a thug or a heavyweight, Method’s punches are butterfly jabs. It’s when he’s goofing that he’s at his most lucid, oozing effortlessly through flows that, through all the fog and haze of Method’s delivery, unfold into perfection like origami swans. He’s a natural talent and a natural wit, even able to squeeze a few chuckles out of Biggie’s gritty fugue “Ready To Die,” and with Red at his side tonight on the Main Room stage, expect the duo to prove that the rhymes still rhyme and that the jokes are still funny, even if you already know most of the punch lines by heart.